All the officials were dumbfounded. All the officials who had received the edicts from Zhu Yijun in one day were dumbfounded.
Zhu Yijun's series of punches left the officials dumbfounded and slow to react. They didn't know whether they should be happy that the Great Ming Dynasty had gained tens of millions of taels of silver, or confused and angry that the Emperor did not play his cards according to common sense. For a moment, all kinds of emotions swirled around the hearts of the officials. They all expressed that the imperial edict had come too fast, like a tornado, and they had no time to react.
Yes, Daming had won the war. He had killed 200,000 Japanese and beheaded tens of thousands of people. Even the Japanese chief, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, was beheaded. Nihon was defeated, and Daming's national prestige and military prestige spread all over the world. The surrounding people were all silent. Not to mention that Nihon still had to pay eight million taels of silver to Daming. They even gave a silver mountain that could produce one million taels of silver a year to Daming to mine for 50 years. That was 50 million taels of silver! That was pure financial income!
This also meant that the Great Ming Dynasty would be able to receive two years worth of tax revenue. The situation of the Great Ming Dynasty's financial wasteland and tight money supply would be greatly improved. The things that they wanted to do but couldn't, the cities that they wanted to repair but couldn't, the roads that they wanted to repair but couldn't, the disasters that they wanted to relieve but didn't have the money to, the goods that they wanted to buy but couldn't. Everything would be easily solved. The annual financial revenue of nearly five million taels of silver was equivalent to setting a new record.
All of this was brought about by that general.
For a time, the civil officials were speechless. The military generals and military meritorious individuals were overjoyed. They were acutely aware that this military general had to obtain what he deserved. Otherwise, the military generals of the Great Ming Dynasty would collectively be bitterly disappointed — us military generals helped you civil officials solve a problem that you couldn't solve. What, do you think you're in the right? You still want to bully us?
On the issue of Xiao Ruxun, first of all, the officials of the Ministry of Revenue couldn't say anything. The biggest problem that Xiao Ruxun solved was the Ministry of Revenue's problem. With the millions of taels of silver pouring in, the Minister of Revenue's embarrassment of not daring to go home for the New Year would not happen again. As the saying goes, take advantage of others' shortcomings. You took the money that others worked so hard to get, and you still dare to scold them? If you did this, even some civil officials would not be able to stand it and would impeach you.
Following that, the Ministry of Works couldn't say anything either. The bulk of the money was usually in the hands of the Ministry of Works. There were many water conservancy projects in the country that were in disrepair, and the places that needed money were as many as the hairs on a cow. In the past, without money, many things could only be delayed. The Minister of the Ministry of Works was also the one with the least authority in the six ministries, so he could only swallow his anger. Now that there was money, the happiest one was the Ministry of Works.
As for the second, it would be the Ministry of War. Fighting a war required money, manufacturing armaments required money, repairing armaments required money, compensating the soldiers required money, everything required money. A large portion of these millions of taels of silver would also enter the Ministry of War's account. The people of the Ministry of War could not gossip about it. When it came to the issue of Xiao Ruxun, they had to keep their mouths shut. Otherwise, they would lose face.
Of course, the Ministry of War wouldn't say anything. They couldn't be happier that they had chosen the right person — Xiao Ruxun was the commander-in-chief chosen by the Ministry of War. It was Shi Xing who stood his ground and insisted that Xiao Ruxun be the commander-in-chief. There was no reason for the Ministry of War to shoot themselves in the foot. Therefore, when it came to the issue of Xiao Ruxun, the Ministry of War would definitely support it.
Three out of the Six Divisions had already reaped the benefits, so they couldn't make a fuss about Xiao Ruxun's issue. Otherwise, if word of this got out, their reputations would be tarnished, not to mention the surging tides of the military generals. Xiao Ruxun's battle had produced quite a number of iron-blooded generals, and each and every one of them had to be rewarded. Seeing their prestige soar, the public was enraged. At this moment, even the civil officials had to take a step back. If at this juncture, there was a civil official suppressing the military generals, it was estimated that all the military generals of the Great Ming Dynasty would stir up trouble.
It was already troublesome enough for the Emperor and the civil officials to cause trouble. They had finally managed to tame the generals with great difficulty so that the generals could no longer support the Emperor. Now, if the generals and civil officials were to fall out because of Xiao Ruxun, the civil officials would be attacked from both sides by the generals and the Emperor. This was definitely not a wise choice.
Therefore, they had made preparations for Xiao Ruxun to be made a marquis and planned to take a step back. Even if the Emperor wanted Xiao Ruxun to be made a marquis, they would agree and reward him as he should. In any case, regarding Xiao Ruxun's reward, no matter what the Emperor said, the Ministry of Revenue did not intend to refute, the Ministry of Rites did not intend to stir up trouble, and the Martial Selection Department of the Ministry of War also sat obediently and waited for the Emperor's edict.
However, before the edict for Xiao Ruxun to be made a marquis, they waited for the ceremony for the conferment of the three kings and the triumphant return of the army. An imperial edict was held on the same day. The Emperor wanted to bring the three kings out of the Imperial City to welcome the generals who had returned in triumph, to celebrate the generals and the Daming.
The Emperor's combination of fists came very suddenly and directly stunned the unprepared officials. However, very quickly, those with discerning eyes could see that the Emperor had bad intentions and was here to freeload. He wanted to use the prestige of Xiao Ruxun to become the person that the civil officials collectively avoided. He wanted to freeload and cause a wave of trouble, making the civil officials feel helpless and disgusted, but they had no choice but to do it.
The sinister behavior and the unfathomable intentions made it hard for people to believe.
This kind of scoundrel was actually the Daming Emperor — Your Majesty, as a supreme being, how could you do things as you please like a normal person? Since ancient times, had the Saint ever done something like this? How could you do this? How could you use such methods to achieve your own goals?
The civil officials were also puzzled.
The Emperor forcibly linked the ceremony for the triumphant return of the army and the ceremony for the conferment of the three kings together. As the Emperor, he wanted to lead the three kings to personally welcome the triumphant return of the army, in order to express the importance and honor he attached to the victorious army, to express the importance and honor he attached to the generals, and to promote the prestige of the nation and the military.
Was there anything wrong with such a statement?
No.
It was not rare for the Emperor to personally welcome the victorious return of the generals, and it was also not rare for the Princes to personally welcome them. It was also not rare for the Emperor to personally welcome them and the Princes to accompany them. This was all very normal. However, the key point was that the Emperor actually wanted to take this opportunity to suppress the struggle for the foundation of the nation. Your intentions were really too unfathomable. It was simply playing with the civil officials like monkeys. Moreover, it was very unskillful and very disgusting.
You are the Emperor, you have to do things openly, you can't play tricks!
The civil officials felt that they had been hurt and humiliated.
However, they could not directly deny this matter, because the financial problem that they had not been able to solve was solved by a general using a war. At least for the next few years, the Daming Emperor would not be short of money. This greatly reduced the pressure on the civil officials. Whether it was out of love or reason, they had to express their gratitude to Xiao Ruxun and retreat. However, the Emperor's method of leeching off the popularity was really too disgusting. No matter what, they were not willing to follow the imperial edict.
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